Johannesburg - Numsa's four-day special national congress started in Boksburg, on the East Rand, on Tuesday.
The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa’s (Numsa) second deputy president, Christine Olivier, said it was decided a conference had to be held after serious discussion about the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu).
This had involved the problems paralysing Cosatu, she told delegates.
“The paralysis of Cosatu happened soon after [its] 2012 conference because of failure to implement [resolutions],” she said.
The state of the alliance between the African National Congress, the South African Communist Party and Cosatu also needed to be discussed.
“This observation led to a serious discussion on whether we should support the ANC in the upcoming elections in 2014.”
She told delegates that the ANC had failed to deliver outcomes which were favourable to the working class and the poor after its elective conference in Mangaung last year.
“[In Mangaung] they also elected a leadership which is clearly pro-capitalism,” she said.
Numsa is also expected to discuss its position in Cosatu and whether it should leave the trade union federation. This was the first time in Numsa's history that a special congress was being held.
Delegates chanted: “Hands off Numsa, hands off! Hands off (Numsa general secretary) Irvin Jim, hands off!”
Sapa